Director - Career Services

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About Nayanta University

Nayanta University is a pioneering world-class institution being established in Pune by a group of India’s most respected industrialists and thought leaders, in close collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). It is designed as a multidisciplinary, fully residential university that prepares students not only for successful careers, but also for meaningful lives of curiosity, responsibility, and impact.

A Nayanta education combines academic excellence with real-world relevance. Our students will engage deeply with India and the world through research, dialogue, and field-based learning. A hallmark of this approach is a career readiness ecosystem that spans the corporate, social impact, and government sectors.

Why This Role Matters

The Director – Career Services will play a central role in shaping the career journeys of our students — helping them discover and pursue paths that align with their strengths and aspirations. This is not just a placement role — it is an institution-building mandate.

The incumbent will lead the development of a multi-sectoral career services ecosystem, forge strategic partnerships, and work closely with faculty and academic leadership to ensure that career preparedness is tightly integrated with the curriculum.

As part of Nayanta’s founding team, you will also have a unique opportunity to leverage our institutional partnership with CII, and its expansive network of corporates, think tanks, family businesses, and policy leaders — enabling access to transformative opportunities for our students.

This is a senior leadership role, reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking a strategic, entrepreneurial, and student-centric leader with:

• 10–15 years of experience in corporate relations, career services, or recruitment — preferably within a top-tier academic institution (undergraduate or postgraduate).
• Proven experience in managing internships and final placements, and in building long-term, trust-based relationships with organisations across sectors.
• Deep understanding of recruitment cycles, HR practices, and key account management, and a strong professional network including CXOs, HR leaders, and recruiters.
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team, including student volunteers and placement committees.
• Sensitivity to student strengths, goals, and developmental needs, with the ability to provide both personalised guidance and institutional support systems.
• Ability to collaborate closely with faculty and administration, ensuring career services and academics operate in synergy.
• Experience in or enthusiasm for working with government and social sector organisations, alongside the corporate world.
• Strong solutioning mindset, entrepreneurial drive, and readiness to help build a new kind of university.

In exceptional cases, senior professionals from HR, consulting, or related fields, with strong industry networks and a passion for education, will also be considered.

Key Responsibilities

Multi-Sectoral Career Ecosystem Development

• Build a vibrant and diverse ecosystem of recruiters and internship partners across the corporate, social, and public sectors.
• Leverage Nayanta’s partnership with CII to initiate, deepen, and institutionalise high-impact partnerships with industry bodies, member companies, and public institutions.
• Position Nayanta as a preferred destination for top-quality undergraduate talent in India.
• The incumbent will lead the development of a multi-sectoral career services ecosystem, forge strategic partnerships, and work closely with faculty and academic leadership to ensure that career preparedness is tightly integrated with the curriculum.

Career Services Strategy and Delivery

• Lead the end-to-end design and delivery of internship and placement processes, ensuring transparency, fairness, and high employer satisfaction.
• Support students across multiple years with access to career development tools, speaker sessions, resume building, mock interviews, and job search strategies.
• Drive data collection, outcomes tracking, and employer feedback systems to ensure continuous improvement.

Academic Integration and Collaboration

• Work closely with faculty and academic leadership to ensure students graduate with skills and experiences aligned to emerging industry trends.
• Contribute to the design of interdisciplinary and experiential learning programs (e.g., capstone projects, field immersions, etc.).
• Bring in employer voices to shape curriculum innovation and real-world relevance.

Team Building and Mentorship

• Recruit and mentor a dynamic career services team that is both student-focused and industry-savvy.
• Create a strong student engagement model, including career ambassadors and internship committees.
• Represent Nayanta at career fairs, industry forums, and recruitment summits.

Preferred Qualifications

• A graduate or postgraduate degree in Business, HR, Education, or related fields.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong project management, analytical thinking, and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Alignment with Nayanta’s values of curiosity, empathy, excellence, and commitment to inclusion.

What We Offer

- A rare opportunity to shape the career services function at a world-class institution from day one.

- A platform to work with a visionary leadership team and a network of top Indian industrialists through CII.

- A dynamic environment that values innovation, inclusion, and long-term social impact.

Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, and benchmarked to leading institutions.

To Apply

Please email your CV (maximum 2 pages) and a brief cover letter to careers@nayanta.org, with the subject line: Application for Director– Career Services.

Application Deadline: